revelations

Matt King (George Clooney, left) is unexpectedly thrown into the role of primary caregiver to his two daughters, Alex (Shailene Woodley, middle) and Scottie (Amara Miller, right), when his wife is left comatose after a boating accident in the new comedy-drama, "The Descendants." Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Distraught husband Matt King (George Clooney, second from left) and daughter Alex (Shailene Woodley, left) are left to inform their wife and mother's parents, Alice (Barbara L. Southern, second from right) and Scott (Robert Forster, right), of her impending demise in director Alexander Payne's latest offering, "The Descendants." Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

What we think of as paradise may not always measure up to expectations, and that can be particularly disheartening if our contributions to its creation are riddled with pitfalls that arise from problematic beliefs and intents. It can even happen in places we think are immune to such irksome concerns, like Hawaii, as is apparent in the new comedy-drama, “The Descendants.”

Matt King (George Clooney) is a man with a lot on his plate. Professionally he’s a successful real estate attorney acting as trustee for a huge parcel of property that has been in his family for generations, some of whom were members of the Hawaiian royal family. However, with tax consequences threatening to hammer the family financially if the property is retained in perpetuity, he must now find a suitable disposition for the land, one that will benefit both him and his many cousins, a number of whom are broke. Several competing proposals loom, causing some polite yet undeniable discord in the family, which he’s called upon to alleviate whenever discussions threaten to become heated. What’s more, considering the high-profile nature of this pending transaction, the disposition has attracted much public scrutiny. Matt’s got quite a challenge holding everything together.

But, if this weren’t enough, Matt also has major problems on the home front. His wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) lies comatose in a hospital bed after a tragic boating accident, leaving him alone to raise the two daughters he barely knows, 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller), a rambunctious scamp who frequently acts out in unpredictable ways, and 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley), an outspoken, streetwise teen who’s enrolled at a private school for students with emotional and substance abuse issues. Matt clearly has his hands full with his kids, but, even though he’s the parent, he’s the one who stands to learn the most from this arrangement, like family secrets that have escaped his attention. The biggest of these is Alex’s revelation that Elizabeth was having an affair prior to her accident, an incident that led to her falling out with her mother and contributed to her subsequent substance issues. Indeed, father might not always know best – or even what’s going on.

As Elizabeth’s health deteriorates, Matt faces some tough prospects, such as notifying her friends and family (particularly her ornery father, Scott (Robert Forster)) of what appears to be her impending demise. Carrying on isn’t easy for him; besides the emotional upset associated with these tasks, not to mention his own personal anguish, he’s also obsessed with figuring out how to confront the man with whom Elizabeth had the affair (Matthew Lillard). And, once the real reasons behind the affair become apparent, Matt’s circumstances become doubly complicated – and even more upsetting.

Given the bombardment of revelations that come Matt’s way, it’s obvious he’s spent too much of his time on his career and too little of his attention on his family, which has no doubt fueled their “defiant” behavior (and, in turn, his apparent cluelessness as to their actions). He’s also a little tight with the family’s purse strings; despite a fair degree of affluence, he faithfully adheres to his father’s financial advice about giving his kids “enough money to do something, but not enough to do nothing.” He genuinely hopes his work ethic and frugality will instill sound values in his family, yet just the opposite seems to be true, which frequently perplexes him.

Alex, an outspoken, streetwise teen handling a number of challenges in her life (Shailene Woodley, left), leans on her quirky boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause, right) to help her get through her ordeals in Alexander Payne's "The Descendants." Photo by Merrie Wallace, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

From this, it’s apparent Matt has never heard of living in the moment, enjoying “the now,” for it’s a moment that will never come again, and, as conscious creation practitioners know so well, the present is the point of power and the only moment over which we have any direct control. One could spend years planning for the future and never get to realize the benefits of it if one isn’t present in that future to enjoy it. Elizabeth, Alex and Scottie grasp this, but Matt obviously doesn’t, so while he’s hunkered down over a stack of legal documents, they’re living life and enjoying themselves (and what better place to do this than in the splendor that is Hawaii). There’s evidently a hugelesson in this for the beleaguered attorney.

Focusing one’s attention on the present moment is very freeing, not only in terms of doing what one wants, but also in terms of being who one wants to be. Again, Matt’s wife and daughters understand this, though he still needs to get the lesson. Being the supremely responsible provider that he is, for both his immediate and extended families, Matt’s convinced himself that he must conscientiously abide by his obligations, following the tried-and-true path and rarely allowing himself to be spontaneous, frequently stifling the emergence of his “true” self. Circumstances push Matt into changing his ways, letting him see that it’s perfectly acceptable to give himself permission to follow his impulses and to live his life the way he wants, even if that life is somewhat out of step with what others expect out of him.

Cheating husband Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard, right) struggles to play innocent in front of his wife Julie (Judy Greer, left) when threatened with his affair's exposure in the new comedy-drama, "The Descendants." Photo by Merrie Wallace, courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

As inspiring and enlightening as these notions are, however, they don’t receive the full development they deserve. Many of the ideas raised in “The Descendants” feel half-baked, never reaching complete fruition. Perhaps something was lost in the transition of this story from novel to screenplay, but, as the picture stands now, the script comes across more like a first draft than a finished product, with plenty of gaps that could use filling in (some of which, for all I know, may have ended up on the editing room floor). Ultimately, however, the film’s fine acting (especially Clooney and Woodley), beautiful scenery, colorful characters and genuinely funny one-liners aren’t enough to hide a narrative that’s substantively thin and feels incomplete.

“The Descendants” has been receiving considerable press as a strong awards season contender, and the performances by Clooney and Woodley certainly merit serious attention as potential nominees. However, I’d like to hope Hollywood has better offerings in store as the season progresses. In its current form, the film is a pleasant diversion, like a fun trip to a tropical beach on a cold winter’s afternoon, but, as nice as that is, viewers shouldn’t expect paradise.

Have you ever experienced an epiphany, a life-changing moment or realization? Listen in as host Kristen White chat with author Elise Ballard on revelations that changed lives – and the lives of others – forever.

Elise Ballard did and was so stunned by its effect on her life that she started asking others if they had ever experienced these kinds of breakthroughs. What began as simple curiosity led to an unexpected and exciting journey, spanning several years and the breadth of human experience. The result is Epiphany, a collection of more than 50 revelations that changed lives – and the lives of others – forever.

Inspiring, thought-provoking, and eye-opening, Epiphany contains the deeply intimate stories of people from all walks of life, from public figures like Maya Angelou, Deepak Chopra, Ali McGrawand Barry Manilow, to personal acquaintances and life-long friends, to new contacts made in the most unexpected and serendipitous of circumstances.

Whether discovering their life purpose, awakening to new possibilities, or finding a new direction after a tremendous setback, each person’s epiphany is a gift, providing new insight into the universal truths that connect us all.

Elise Ballard is an actress, an independent filmmaker and film producer. She started her career in entertain-ment working as an actress in New York, Austin and Los Angeles. Her work as a producer began in Los Angeles as a partner in a production company that produced films distributed by Lionsgate and Monarch Entertainment.

Her critically acclaimed directorial debut, Lord of the Wiens: A Dachumentary, a movie about the annual Wiener Dog Races in Buda, TX became a cult hit, receiving considerable national press coverage, playing film festival circuits and PBS. Since then she has created, directed and produced numerous projects including BackStage: Behind the Scenes segments for Time Warner cable’sPublik Music channel; FitPack, a series of short exercise regimens and viral ads by NYC celebrity trainer Joel Harper, and the YOUDVDs accompanying the YOUbook series by world-renowned, bestselling authors, Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen.

She is currently in development on several projects, including the web, film and book project for Epiphany. Elise lives in Los Angeles and is actively seeking new epiphanies.

The Way of the Warrior is simple. However, as you have often heard me say, it may be simple but it’s not always easy. Today I would like to give you a few of my simple guidelines or “rules of the road,” if you will. And that road is the Way of the Warrior.

The Warrior always speaks her truth – no matter what the circumstances.

The Warrior is totally detached from what others think and say about her. (This is absolutely necessary if she’s going to observe the first rule above.)

The Warrior always does her best to see the divinity in all that is. In this way, she shall never have any desire to own, control, manipulate, misuse or abuse any of the Great Spirit’s creatures.

The Warrior always follows the highest path as dictated by the highest authority in the Universe – herself.

The Warrior totally trusts in – and surrenders to – the flow of her life. She knows all is as it should be. Therefore, she must always completely trust in – and surrender to – her Higher Self, her Soul, the Great Spirit.

The Warrior knows all Love, all Wisdom, all Power lie within her – within her heart, her mind, her body, her Soul. There is nothing to seek, nothing to find, nowhere to go – except within.

The Warrior knows with absolute certainty she has never make a mistake – she can never make a mistake. All of her life is simply a lesson in this classroom called Planet Earth. She learns as she goes. All is as it should be.

The Warrior never takes life on Planet Earth too seriously. It’s all a game, after all – a game in the classroom of Planet Earth. And games should be fun. Enjoy the game – it won’t last forever!

The Warrior’s heart is always full – and always grateful. She never knows lack or emptiness – except, that is, when she creates those illusions by getting too infatuated with the Great Illusion – the human experience.

The Warrior knows the Great Illusion creates some highly interesting challenges – for example, the challenge to rise above the Great Illusion.

As she rises above the Great Illusion, the Warrior knows this experience is as it should be – she has chosen it. And in this choosing, she is remembering her way back to the Light – back to her Home. That was the only reason for choosing the Great Illusion in the first place.

The Warrior knows all her brothers and sisters on Planet Earth have the same destination she does — Home. But each may take a different path. And the Warrior knows that’s okay! All will get Home – no matter what path they take. It cannot be otherwise – for all paths lead Home.

The Warrior knows the way of the wind. She loves the wind, but she knows she cannot capture it – she cannot own it. She can love it, luxuriate in its presence, glory in its energy. But if she tries to capture it, it becomes something other than what it truly is – it becomes still and stagnant air. She can never possess it completely – unless she refuses to ever own it – unless she refuses to ever have sovereignty over it. She can possess it only by letting it be free – by letting it be what it is.

It cannot be otherwise. The Way of the Warrior is the Way of the Wind.

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My VividLife: South Africa

Shayne Traviss

Sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
After over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others I've decided to open a new chapter in my life.
If you long to go higher, live a life 'all in' join me as I dive in deep sharing my life experiences, travels and inspirations for living a VividLife.

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About VividLife.me

Founded by Shayne Traviss formerly VividLife.me was an online resource for personal growth through over 10,000 blogs, audio conversations and videos, from thought leaders, best-selling authors and wellness experts from around the globe. VividLife.me provided engaging conversations on consciousness and human potential with Arianna Huffington, Jane Fonda and Alanis Morrissette, wisdom packed blogs from spiritual Icons Iyanla Vanzant and Ram Dass, Green Tips from David Suzuki’s Queen of Green, Advice from Award Winning Parenting and Relationships Experts, Recipes from Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw Chef’s and more… and reached and inspired over 3 million people around the globe.
However sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
And after over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others Shayne Traviss decided to open a new chapter in his life.
If you long to go higher, live a life 'all in' join him as he dives in deep sharing his life experiences, travels and inspirations for living a VividLife.